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Former Liverpool star Djibril Cisse SHOCKED by summer signing
Tom Weber
- Updated: 15 Oct 2025 18:23 BST
- 4 min read
News
Former Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse has admitted that he did not expect Hugo Ekitike to have quite such an impressive impact so soon at Anfield.
The France international joined the race in a €95 million summer deal from Eintracht Frankfurt after enjoying a veritable career revival in Germany. Previously exiled by PSG, Ekitike returned to his best in the Bundesliga.
The 23-year-old was linked with Newcastle, but he opted to join the reigning Premier League champions instead, unaware that they were also planning to sign Alexander Isak. Not only did Newcastle miss out on Ekitike, they also lost their star striker to Liverpool.
Current ETV
Hugo Ekitiké
F (C)
Liverpool
Hugo Ekitiké
F (C)
Liverpool
ETV Range
€67.7M - €82.8M
However, while Isak has struggled after not having a proper pre-season, Ekitike has hit the ground running on Merseyside, scoring five goals in 10 appearances and earning his senior France debut in September.
Head coach Arne Slot has a real conundrum on his hands, trying to fit both Isak and Ekitike into his side. So far, he has failed to find the right balance, with fellow summer recruit Florian Wirtz also struggling to find his place.
Cisse: 'I wasn't expecting him to be that good'
Speaking in an interview with GFFN, former Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse has admitted that he has been pleasantly surprised by Ekitike's instant impact at Anfield.
"He brings goals," Cisse, who is now an offensive coach at youth club Auxerre, said. "He can score goals. He showed it in Germany, and he’s shown it at Liverpool when he arrived.
"I was a little scared that he wasn’t going to play much, but I was wrong. He’s playing, he’s doing well, he’s scoring goals. He’s bringing different options to Mo Salah and Alexander Isak.
"He’s a really good player. I know him from France. I knew he had the quality to perform, but to be honest, I wasn’t expecting him to be that good that quickly."
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